AAA/Socialists would nationalise private companies. Martin confirms he is prepared to put them in government – Harris

Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/East Carlow and Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Simon Harris, has said that Micheál Martin’s admission that he would go into government with AAA/Socialists shows the lengths his party will go to in order to gain power.
 
“Micheál Martin’s statement that he would go into government with AAA would be funny were it not so serious. People should be aware what a vote for Fianna Fáil now represents. AAA is an extreme far left entity which is determined to nationalise the private companies which are the mainstay of our economy.

“In the recent alternative budgets presented by both parties, Fianna Fáil refused to drop the main rate of USC on hard pressed low and middle income earners. In doing so they reinforced their reputation as the high tax/high spend party.

“Meanwhile the Socialists have shown themselves to be Fianna Fáil on steroids. Their pre-budget submission for 2016 suggested an eye watering €13 billion increase in tax and €13 billion in spending increases.

“On top of imposing high taxes on low and middle income workers is Micheál Martin now determined to drive employers and jobs out of the country? Because by going into coalition with the Socialists that’s exactly what he would do. I dread to think what measures AAA would be pushing at the Cabinet table.

“An interview which AAA TD, Ruth Coppinger gave to Newstalk in November 2014 gives us a clear insight into their approach to employers. She said: “We would nationalise and take over the wealth that exits. We would have to have a planned economy for most of industry, you know the big industries. You could have a much fairer system if you socialised and nationalised.”

“It is worrying that Micheál Martin is willing to put AAA in government in order to achieve power. The presence of an anti-business, far left party like AAA in government would deter employers from investing in Ireland, do serious damage to current employers and would be an extremely retrograde step for our economy.

“Fine Gael supports employers for the very simple reason that they provide jobs to hundreds of thousands of Irish people. We are committed to reducing the tax burden on Irish workers, because we implicitly understand that the sustainable reduction of our high taxes is good for our economy. Lower taxes support jobs and high taxes kill jobs. That’s a fact.”